NFL: How the Giants, Jets, Patriots and all other teams look next season

Giants (9-7)
Another improbable run showed the Giants are among the league’s elite. But plenty of personnel decisions will need to be made. Does GM Jerry Reese re-sign DE Dave Tollefson? What about CBs Aaron Ross and Terrell Thomas, who missed the season with a torn ACL? Does oft-disgruntled DE Osi Umenyiora get traded a la Jeremy Shockey after Super Bowl XLII? Decisions, decisions.

Philadelphia Eagles (8-8)
So much for the Dream Team, eh? A 3-6 start submarined the Eagles’ chances. Injuries to QB Michael Vick and WRs DeSean Jackson and Jeremy Maclin didn’t help. While LeSean McCoy became one of the league’s best RBs, defensive coordinator Juan Castillo became a target. But Castillo has been retained, meaning that the 14th season for Reid might be his last if things don’t work out again.

Dallas Cowboys (8-8)
Dallas seems to have all of the necessary pieces to be one of the elite teams in the league, but can’t get out of its own way. Injuries took a toll on the Cowboys, but a 1-4 finish to the season was the killer. QB Tony Romo isn’t fully to blame for the Cowboys’ futility, but his inability to win inside the NFC East is. In 37 career games, Romo is 18-19 against the other three teams.

Washington Redskins (5-11)
What price Washington is willing to pay to get Heisman Trophy winner Robert Griffin III? The Redskins are slotted to pick sixth, but with the Rams at No. 2 (and already having Sam Bradford), a deal is a possibility. Owner Daniel Snyder has no qualms about spending or trading draft picks.

NFC WEST

San Francisco 49ers (13-3)
Jim Harbaugh was the man in the black hat for the NFL in his first season and his team was a reflection. Coming from Stanford, Harbaugh turned a ragtag group of players into the best defense in the league and an effective, nasty version of ground-and-pound offense, averaging 127.8 yards per game. As long as San Francisco doesn’t sustain any major injuries, there’s a chance it will be just as good next season.

Arizona Cardinals (8-8)
It usually takes a quarterback a full season to get a hang of new system. The Cards are hoping that’s the case with Kevin Kolb. After acquiring Kolb from the Eagles before last season, hopes were high, but flatlined quickly. Kolb battled injuries and played only nine games and throwing nine touchdowns.

Seattle Seahawks (7-9)
Pete Carroll thought he could make it work with Tavaris Jackson and Charlie Whitehurst, but that evaporated quickly. Whitehurst is a free agent, as are RBs Marshawn Lynch and Justin Forsett. Lynch will be a must-sign, having scored a touchdown in 10 of the team’s last 12 games of the season. But without other offensive upgrades, Lynch is going to get a lot of stuffing-the-box looks next season.

St. Louis Rams (2-14)
Ten wins in three seasons got Spagnuolo fired, and it might not be such a bad thing for QB Sam Bradford. He’ll get to learn under Jeff Fisher, who oversaw the late Steve McNair becoming one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL during his tenure in Tennessee. Building a defense and giving Bradford some help on offense are key. Oklahoma State WR Justin Blackmon is priority No. 1.

NFC NORTH

Green Bay Packers (15-1)
QB Aaron Rodgers and his offense were other-wordly for the entire season, but seemed to lose their way at the end of the season. Chances are Mike McCarthy and GM Ted Thompson will look to shore up the defense via the draft and strengthen the unit. Keep an eye on if the Packers get trade offers for backup QB Matt Flynn.

Detroit Lions (10-6)
Everything is there for Detroit to become one of the best teams in the league and serious Super Bowl contender. But if penalties and boneheaded plays continue to be an issue, this nucleus will be wasted. The Lions were third in the league in penalties committed last year, with 7.9 a game. Jim Schwartz is a terrific coach, but a total firebrand. If Schwartz dials it back, it might trickle down and make his team better.

Chicago Bears (8-8)
Were it not for the season-ending thumb injury to QB Jay Cutler, Chicago might’ve been a legitimate threat in the NFC playoff race. That won’t happen again unless the Bears decide they want to pay RB Matt Forte. Forte had 1,487 total yards and four TDs this year before missing the final four games of the year with a knee injury. He’s an unrestricted free agent this year.

Minnesota Vikings (3-13)
While the Vikes seemed to find their QB of the future in Christian Ponder, there wasn’t much else to hang their hat on. Minnesota’s defense was second to last in points allowed (28.1) and only averaged 21.2 points on offense. Yes, RB Adrian Peterson is still there, but only topped 100 yards rushing three times this season.

NFC SOUTH

New Orleans Saints (13-3)
Drew Brees is the face of the franchise and is beloved in the Big Easy. He broke Dan Marino’s season passing yards mark. He is the conductor of one of the best offenses in the NFL. And he needs a new contract. There are plenty of reasons for both sides to make one. And if you thought losing defensive coordinator Gregg Williams to the Rams would hurt, getting Steve Spagnuolo twill help.

Atlanta Falcons (10-6)
Atlanta had one of the best passing attacks in the NFL and a solid defensive unit, but coaching gaffes seemed to plague this team at the most inopportune times. Mike Smith has guided the Falcons to three playoff appearances in four seasons. QB Matt Ryan has two incredible targets in WRs Julio Jones and Roddy White, but just lost his offensive coordinator Mike Mularkey to Jacksonville.

Carolina Panthers (6-10)
Okay, we’re convinced: Cam Newton is the real deal. Newton threw for 4,051 yards and 21 touchdowns in his rookie year, and he rushed for 706 yards and 14 TDs. But we’ve seen talented two-way QBs hit it big early and then fall off when opposing teams figure out how to stop them. Year 2 in Carolina will be all about adjustments for Newton.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-12)
Can Greg Schiano turn around a franchise that was the worst across the board in the NFL last season? That will be the challenge for the former Rutgers coach, who was the surprise hire of the offseason two weeks ago. QB Josh Freeman is a nice piece to build around, but the offense and defense were a total disaster. One of Schiano’s main sticking points is uniformity, but will it work in the pros?

*****

AFC EAST

New England Patriots (13-3)
Once again, New England proved to be the class of the division, with one of the league’s best offenses. But will it look the same next season? Four big pieces of that unit are free agents. WRs Wes Welker and Deion Branch will be 31 and 33, respectively, before the opener. G Dan Koppen and C Dan Connolly are free agents. Will New England continue the Patriot Way of not giving stars big contracts after 30, or will Tom Brady insist they return?

Jets (8-8)
Has the talking stopped yet? Coach Rex Ryan guaranteed a Super Bowl, but that dream unraveled along with the cohesiveness in his locker room. There’s still talent on the roster, but is there confidence in QB Mark Sanchez? He didn’t take the steps forward last year that some expected, and he is going to need to become the face and voice of the offense.

Miami Dolphins (6-10)
Another new head coach means another start-from-scratch transition period. Joe Philbin is in after guiding the Packers into the top 10 in points scored and total yards in each of his five seasons as offensive coordinator. But it won’t be easy to duplicate that without a true starting QB. Matt Moore did a nice job late in the season for the Dolphins.

Buffalo Bills (6-10)
So much promise, only to see another subpar finish in Buffalo. But the Bills have a number of key pieces to make a serious run in the division. Re-signing breakout WR Stevie Johnson will be key to keeping things settled for QB Ryan Fitzpatrick. It’s almost a perfect scenario for the Bills, who will get a chance to add a key piece in the draft with a top-10 pick.

AFC WEST

Denver Broncos (8-8)
Tebow. Tebow. Tebow. That’s pretty much the only story line that Denver will be talking about this offseason. After being named the starter for the Oct. 23 game against the Dolphins, Tim Tebow helped the Broncos to a 7-4 finish and a playoff victory. But when do opposing teams start to figure out that once you limit Denver’s run game, the Broncos has very few playmakers to blow teams away?

San Diego Chargers (8-8)
Super Bowl talk gave way to another underwhelming season — and second straight without a playoff berth. Still, the Chargers kept coach Norv Turner. Philip Rivers was up and down all season, and Vincent Jackson’s output decreased. He’s had contract issues with the Chargers before, meaning that Jackson might opt to take his talents elsewhere.

Oakland Raiders (8-8)
Firing Hue Jackson as coach after one season, when a Raiders team that had marginal talent and injuries nearly made the playoffs, was surprising. But this is Oakland after all, and a 1-4 finish after a 7-4 start will create changes. New GM Reggie McKenzie went with former Broncos defensive coordinator Dennis Allen as his new coach. Building around QB Carson Palmer and RB Darren McFadden will be key.

Kansas City Chiefs (7-9)
After GM Scott Pioli canned Todd Haley, a lot of bad vibes came out that indicated Pioli runs Arrowhead with an iron fist. That didn’t bother Romeo Crennel, who stayed on board as the new coach. Now comes the hard part: building an offense. WR Dwayne Bowe is a free agent, and Kyle Orton will get Jamaal Charles back at RB for his first full season.

AFC NORTH

Baltimore Ravens (12-4)
For all of the grief that QB Joe Flacco seems to endure, he more than proved himself in the AFC Championship Game against the Pats. WR Torrey Smith emerged as a legit deep threat. But Baltimore staying at the top of the AFC will hinge on what happens to RB Ray Rice. The former Rutgers star is an unrestricted free agent, though owner Steve Bisciotti guaranteed last week that Rice will be retained.

Pittsburgh Steelers (12-4)
Ben Roethlisberger still isn’t happy that offensive coordinator Bruce Arians was let go. Big Ben enjoyed his best season in the last five years while Arians was calling plays on offense, but what happens now? Deep target Mike Wallace is a restricted free agent, so it’s likely he’ll be back. Next step will be finding some protection for Roethlisberger on the offensive line.

Cincinnati Bengals (9-7)
Perhaps the best young nucleus in the league with QB Andy Dalton and WR A.J. Green. Plus, the defense was pretty good, too, allowing 20.6 points per game this past year. But this is a story we’ve heard in Cincy before. (How many playoff berths were Carson Palmer and Chad Johnson/Ochocinco supposed to deliver?)

Cleveland Browns (4-12)
Pat Shurmur’s first season was a disaster. QB Colt McCoy was not the answer, and the Browns were near the bottom of the league in nearly every offensive category. Worse, RB Peyton Hillis being a bust after a sensational 2010 season. Hillis, an unrestricted free agent, was the source of turmoil.

AFC SOUTH

Houston Texans (10-6)
Our pick to win the AFC next season. They’ve got a potent offense (23.8 ppg were 10th-most in the league) and great defense (17.4 ppg allowed was fourth-best). But can they stay healthy? QB Matt Schaub and WR Andre Johnson missed significant time with injuries in 2011. Keeping them on the field — and re-signing DE Mario Williams — would put Houston at the top of the list of teams to beat.

Tennessee Titans (9-7)
Tennessee really was bit by the lockout this season and still managed to contend for a playoff spot. RB Chris Johnson started slow because of a contract holdout during the preseason and gained more than 300 yards less than 2010 and scored seven fewer touchdowns. Former Rutgers WR Kenny Britt is an incredible talent, but went down early in the season with a MCL and ACL tear.

Jacksonville Jaguars (5-11)
A downright bizarre season in Jacksonville. The Jags drafted QB Blaine Gabbert, cut starter David Garrard days before the start of the season but opened with Luke McCown in the first two weeks. Jack Del Rio was fired after a 3-8 start. New owner Shahid Khan hired former Falcons offensive coordinator Mike Mularkey last month.

Indianapolis Colts (2-14)
It all starts with the decision on Peyton Manning, whose doctors say has a healthy neck but questions remain about whether (or when) the nerves in his right arm will regenerate. Manning is due an enormous $28 million roster bonus March 8 if he’s still on the team. The Colts have the No. 1 pick in the draft, which makes Andrew Luck becoming the new face of the franchise possible.